Preemptive Strikes

Turn the lights out. No NFL MVP for the Patriots' second run at perfection. No Pro Bowl stud for the defending Super Bowl champs. Boy, this season has already lost a lot of star power. After the preseason and the first week of the regular season, players like Tom Brady, Shawne Merriman, Ed Reed and Osi Umenyiora, just to name a few, are dealing with career-threatening injuries.

I don't know about you, but I want to see the best athletes on the field. There are teams I don't like, but I would never wish injury upon anyone in sports. The fact of the matter is, when players like the aforementioned list aren't in the game, the product on the field and the quality of the game isn't the same. When you watch a game, especially if your favorite team is involved, and think about what could have been because your star player is out, it totally licks bursa sac.

I'm sure other story lines will come to the forefront and the show will go on, as has always been the case in the NFL. With heavy doses of Brett Favre, Tony Romo, division rivalries, emerging rookies, and the Manning Brothers' Double-Stuft Oreos commercials, you might just forget all about it. However, I have to say I can't remember any other season where I've seen this many injuries to so many star players.

The weekly injury reports read like a who's who of pro football: Tom Brady (torn ACL, MCL), Shawne Merriman (torn LCL, PCL), Osi Umenyiora (torn lateral meniscus), Ed Reed (shoulder/neck nerve), Chad Ocho Cinco (partially torn labrum), Marques Colston (torn thumb ligaments), Vince Young (sprained MCL, not to mention his therapist said he's suicidal), the entire Seahawks' receiving corps, and I'm just getting warmed up.

People wait months and months for the season to start, and for some, their chances at winning it all have been severely damaged after just one week. It's hard to take, but everyone has to move forward. Let's wish those players luck in their attempts to get back on the field, the source of so much excitement for diehard fans. Good luck guys, I want to see you all back out there.